I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device designed to assist in the retrieval of wheeled shopping carts in parking lots and more particularly to an electric powered vehicle with electronic remote control allowing one operator to use the device for retrieval of wheeled shopping carts.
II. Discussion of the Prior Art
Retrieving shopping carts in large parking lots is primarily a manual task. Workers push or pull a column of stacked wheeled shopping carts from various collection areas located throughout large parking lots. The longer the column of carts being pushed or pulled, the more difficult it becomes to control. Thus, workers limit the number of carts. Even with more than one worker, the collecting and guiding of long columns of carts is difficult and time consuming. Furthermore, in large parking lots workers must push or pull the column of carts a great distance. The retrieval task can be physically exhausting and may result in injury to the workers. Carts also can be damage as the workers struggle to push or pull long columns to the store door.
In response to the difficulties with manual retrieval of shopping carts, a prior art apparatus involves using a motorized device for pulling a column of shopping carts through the parking lot in a train like fashion. A rope extends from the motorized device and is fastened to the last cart in the column of carts. Each time a cart is added to the column, the rope must be unfastened from the previous cart, extended further and then secured to the cart added at the end of the column. The operator walks alongside the motorized device as it pulls up to thirty five carts. This prior art device requires operators at both ends of the column or requires the operator to run back and forth between the cart end of the column and the motorized device end of the column because operations occur at both ends of the column of carts. Additionally, the speed of the device is limited to a preset speed which can only be adjusted by programing the microprocessor controller in the device. When the carts are brought to the entrance of the store, the prior art device is difficult to maneuver inside the store. The carts must still be manually pushed or pulled into the store. This can be a difficult task if the column is quite long.
Therefore, what is needed is a cart retrieval system which allows operation by a single individual and eliminates the need for the individual to manually manipulate the long column of carts. The present invention addresses this concern by providing an electrically powered cart retrieval vehicle which can be operated by remote control.